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Za'lenn
Vindicari ---- |Row 9 title = Relatives |Row 9 info = Thelua (Mother) Yanuuk (Father) D'ukhat (Brother) |image = ZalennOfficial.png|caption = Za'lenn by Hugeveiny the Hobo. |Row 10 title = Signature |Row 10 info = |Allegiance = |Branch = |Service = -24,408 K.C. - 624 K.C. (AotL) 625 K.C. - Present (Vindicari) |Commands = Squad Leader |Battles = |Awards = Argus Campaign Medal }} Za'lenn is a sharpshooter currently serving the Vindicari. Her defining characteristics of integrity, practical logic, and tireless dedication to duty make her an asset to any organization. She takes pride in the work she does, and her large repertoire of skills and experiences, gained over the course of twenty-five thousand years serving the Army of the Light, often come in handy. Though she appears to be an average adult, in truth she is far older than most of the peoples of Azeroth, and she has a great deal of wisdom to impart upon those willing to take advice. = History = ---- Early Life Za'lenn was the first-born child of the wakener, Yanuuk, and his life's mate, the talented artificer Thelua. Her birth was highly celebrated by her family, which, at that time, was very large; in all, they spanned multiple generations, professions, and continents — yet none failed to join beneath her parents' roof in Mac'Aree, the Jewel of Argus, to witness an Eredar's coming into the world. As was tradition, each member of the family brought forward gifts to the infant girl, and offered their blessings. It was anticipated that she would grow to be strong in mind, spirit, and in faith. Many predicted that she would inherit her father's talent for manipulating the arcane, and would subsequently follow in his footsteps to become a renowned member of the Augari. And so it was that the young Za'lenn was set on a path not of her own choosing. From a young age, Yanuuk tried to teach his daughter to understand the mysteries of arcane magic. Even when it was shown that she had no preternatural gifts, nor, indeed, a desire to learn, he persisted. She was sent to live and study under the magi of the Conservatory with other children. Left alone without the support of her mother or father, Za'lenn began to act out. At first, she merely refused to participate in lessons. But after a time, she began to skip her lessons altogether, in favor of wandering the Conservatory's grounds. She was caught on numerous occasions, and always chastised, but still the administrators could not temper the child's wild spirit. During her childhood, the girl had little appreciation for her instructors' efforts. Instead, the young Za'lenn would delight in creating mischief, often times causing the Triad's leaders to call into question the skill of her teachers. Eventually, she was expelled from the Augari's tutelage altogether, and she was returned home to two very disappointed parents. If she could no longer become magi, then it was decided that she would enter into her mother's trade instead. The path of an artificer better suited Za'lenn's interests, and for a time, she was a good and studious apprentice to her mother. As she grew into adolescence, however, she again felt called away by an urge deep within her soul. She wanted to know what awaited her outside of the Eredar's gleaming cities. As a child, she had listened eagerly to tales of her ancestors' martial accomplishments — which led to the unification of the Eredar people — with awe. Almost as soon as she came of age, Za'lenn enrolled in the necessitated basic training programs to become a defender of Argus. In her physical training, she excelled as one of their youngest recruits. However, Za'lenn — by nature — found it difficult to sit still for long, and as a result, she struggled with her more scholarly pursuits. Several times, she was denied admission into the advanced training programs. It was only by necessity that she learned to mollify her impulsiveness, and was able to move forward in her instruction. Eventually, she was pledged to the tutelage of a Sharpshooter, Artuug, who had once been a comrade of her father, Yanuuk. For many years, Artuug kept her under his wing; he taught her to use what little she had learned from the Conservatory in conjunction with her weapons training. Most importantly, however, it was through him that Za'lenn came to truly appreciate the wilderness and all of its creatures. He was, and still is, like a second father to her. By the time of Sargeras's fateful offer to the Triumvirate of the Eredar, Za'lenn had been a full-fledged sharpshooter for several hundreds of years, spending most of her time carrying out scouting missions, aiding in offensive strikes, or protecting her kin from various outside threats. She came to be recognized as a highly-skilled warrior of her people, whose dedication was unwavering. So, when she was inevitably asked to abandon her planet to save herself from a monstrous fate, Za'lenn was faced with the most difficult decision of her life. Flight from Argus When the Prophet, Velen, first began to spread word of her people's impending flight from the Eredar homeworld, much was uncertain. Little was known about how they would depart — they were told only to scale the highest peak of Argus on its longest day; there, their salvation would be waiting for them. Those who were told were sworn to secrecy, lest one, untrustworthy, reveal their plans. Naturally, Za'lenn would not have left without other members of her family. Only her maternal grandfather, Rastenn, stayed behind. What has since become of him is unknown. On the day, Za'lenn climbed along with many others — holding only to the faith in her heart. Unbeknownst to them, they were being followed by the beginnings of a demonically corrupted Legion. By the time they reached the top of the mountain, the Man'ari were nearly upon the them; and their salvation was nowhere in sight. Za'lenn resigned herself to remain behind, to hold off the horde of monsters until the rest of her people could escape. Her maternal grandmother, Shakiri, stood with her. In the moments after the splitting of the Ata'mal Crystal, her grandmother, who was a powerful mage, teleported Za'lenn away from the battle, securing her future onboard the Naaru vessel known as the Genedar. Shakiri was slain mere minutes later, overwhelmed by the force of Kil'jaeden's assault. The seasoned sharpshooter cried her rebellion, but in the end it was futile. Her family mourned Shakiri's sacrifice, and the loss of Argus, as they set off into the Great Dark ... newly born exiles -- Draenei. The truth of the Naaru was finally revealed to her people, though they had worshipped the Light for millennia without knowing the identities of their teachers. When the Prime Naaru, Xe'ra, arrived with the Xenedar — she spoke of the necessity of creating an Army to combat Sargeras's Burning Crusade. It was decided that only the Draenei's finest warriors would go, and that the rest of the exiles would find a new home elsewhere. Za'lenn, still guilt-stricken by her failure on Argus, resolved to join them. She said her goodbyes to her remaining family members, and boarded the Xenedar alongside only Artuug. For the first hundreds of years, the Army spent most of its time training to harness the Light's power. Eventually, the first Draenei were given Xe'ra's blessing to become Lightforged, and to begin their war against the Legion. When Za'lenn made the decision to undergo the Prime Naaru's trials, she was assigned a second to train with in preparation — a level-headed blademaster known as T'vaari. At first, they did not get along well. They butted heads more often than not, and it looked as though neither of them would ever be ready to face whatever challenges the trials entailed. Yet as the months wore on, Za'lenn and T'vaari begrudgingly began to gain respect for one another. Respect turned to admiration, and admiration grew into friendship. When the time of their trials finally came, they fought back to back — side by side — and emerged victorious, Lightforged. Even to this day, they are nigh inseparable, and on the battlefield ... they are a duo more deadly than most. Argus Campaign Present Day = Personality = ---- Strengths *'Honest and Direct' – Integrity is the heart of Za'lenn's personality type. Emotional manipulation, mind games, and reassuring lies all run counter to her preference for managing the reality of the situations she encounters with plain and simple honesty. *'Strong-willed and Dutiful' – She embodies that integrity in her actions, too, working hard and staying focused on her goals. Patient and determined, the veteran meets her obligations, period. *'Very Responsible' – Za'lenn's word is a promise, and a promise means everything. She would rather run herself into the ground with extra days and lost sleep than fail to deliver the results she said she would. Loyalty is a strong sentiment for her personality type, and she fulfills her duties to the people and organizations she's committed herself to. *'Calm and Practical' – None of her promises would mean much if she lost her temper and broke down at every sign of hardship – instead she keeps her hooves on the ground and makes clear, rational decisions. Peoples’ preferences are a factor to consider in this process, and she works to make the best use of individual qualities; but these decisions are made with effectiveness in mind more so than empathy. The same applies to criticisms, for others and for herself. *'Creates and Enforces Order' – Her primary goal is to be effective in what she's chosen to do, and she believes that this is accomplished best when everyone involved knows exactly what is going on and why. Unclear guidelines and people who break established rules undermine this effort, and are rarely tolerated. Structure and rules foster dependability; chaos creates unforeseen setbacks. *'Jack-of-All-Trades' – She is a proud repository of knowledge, though her emphasis is more on facts than concepts and underlying principles. Her vast skill set allows her to apply herself to a variety of situations, picking up and applying new information and grasping the details of challenging situations as a matter of course. Weaknesses *'Stubborn' – The facts are the facts, and Za'lenn tends to resist any new idea that she doesn't support. This factual decision-making process also makes it difficult for her to accept that she was wrong about something – but anyone can miss a detail. *'Insensitive' – While not intentionally harsh, she often injures the feelings of more sensitive persons by the simple mantra that honesty is the best policy. She may take emotions into consideration, but really only so far as to determine the most effective way to say what needs to be said. *'Always by the Book' – Held close is the belief that things work best with clearly defined rules, but this makes her reluctant to bend those rules or try new things, even when the downside is minimal. Truly unstructured environments leave Za'lenn all but paralyzed. *'Judgmental' – Opinions are opinions and facts are facts, and she is unlikely to respect people who disagree with those facts, or especially those who remain willfully ignorant of them. *'Often Unreasonably Blames Herself '– All this can combine to make Za'lenn believe that she is the only one who can see projects through reliably. As she loads herself with extra work and responsibilities, turning away good intentions and helpful ideas, she will, sooner or later, hit a tipping point where she simply can’t deliver. Since she's heaped the responsibility onto herself, Za'lenn then believes the responsibility for failure is hers alone to bear. Religious Beliefs Za'lenn is a devout and disciplined follower of the Light, as most of her people are. She believes that the Light is a benevolent, but not necessarily peacemaking, force which exists within every living creature, and ties us all together. Taught by elders of her race, who were in turn taught by the Naaru to wield the Light both in combat and out, the sharpshooter has spent the better part of her life devoted to its teachings. For this reason, she gets along best with those who also believe as she does. However, she knows very well that the Void is also one of the fundamental forces of the universe. So, while she does endeavor to beat back the darkness wherever she can, she is also willing to accept the aid of those such as the Ren'dorei, Illidari, warlocks, and others who are using their dark powers for good purposes. The second a line is crossed, however, all empathy will vanish and the offender will be marked as an enemy. For this reason, she has often times been called overzealous; but from her point of view, she is merely safeguarding those most important of morals and values. Politics Za'lenn, for the most part, avoids getting caught up in politics. However, she has a good understanding of many political topics, and she is not unwilling to engage if she feels that it is necessary for the greater good. She holds no special diplomatic positions; yet, she is regarded very highly amongst the Lightforged who were aboard the Xenedar. Her achievements on Argus and on other Legion worlds throughout the Great Dark have set her apart from others, though she rarely discusses her experiences. It should be noted, also, that Za'lenn twice was suspended from service for alleged insubordination in her early years. Now that the Army of the Light has pledged itself to the Alliance, she has taken it upon herself to learn more about its peoples. Her ultimate allegiance will always belong to the Draenei, but she has promised her bow to the draenei organization known as the Vindicari in an effort to create a home for the Lightforged within the Alliance. = Appearance = ---- Physical Description Even from a distance, this sharp-featured Draenei is easily discernible to you as a martial adherent of the Light. Her spartan figure maintains the rigid and disciplined posture of one who has long since become accustomed to the rigors of organized guerrilla warfare. At the hip, you notice that her left leg has been amputated, so where it ought to be, a metallic appendage instead holds the soldier upright; reminiscent of an Argussian vigilant, the joints mimic those of flesh and bone, and may also exceed mortal performance. After all, a limb forged of iron will never tire. Whatever womanly curves she may bear, evidently, she sees fit to smother with protection fit exclusively for the fiercest of champions. Unlike many of her kin — who tend to dress in hues of white and gold — the gear she wears is stained a matte, coal color. It appears to have been crafted of durable, lightforged steel, then coated in a layer of black oxide. Each piece was engraved with symbols which, you can only assume, must represent verses of ancient religious texts, now glowing with the Light’s power. Regardless, the suit’s fit is undeniably seamless, allowing an ease of movement often difficult to achieve with such bulky plate. Over her equipment, she drapes an ebony tabard adorned with the recognizable patterns of the Army of the Light. Oddly enough, interrupting her holy warrior aesthetic are what you realize to be a number of fel-infused shards. Some are embedded into her armor, but the vast majority make up a crystalline longbow strung over her shoulder. The translucent weapon is held together by what can solely be described as an artificer’s unique brand of technology and enchantment. Individually, the gems emit a dim, green-tinted glare, which occasionally brightens for a few moments before dying down again. Battle trophies? Maybe. You’d have to ask. As if sensing your scrutiny, her head turns to look upon you, the sharpshooter’s golden gaze remaining steady and unyielding. Others might have shied away from your prying vision, but not she. Instead piercing, luminescent eyes bore until they seem to burrow into your very soul, assessing your innermost intentions over the course of a mere instant. Before you can do the same, however, she cleverly averts her observation. In stature, she is fairly average in comparison with others of her kind, coming to stand at a full height of approximately seven foot four. Scars of seemingly varied age mar every visible surface of her grey-toned skin, save for her face, which you note is relatively, and surprisingly, untouched. As is common among her people, she dons a number of decorative rings on her tail, facial tendrils, and again on her horns, which are quite magnificent — arching back and to either side to end in dulled points. Her hooves, too, are capped with golden shoes, exuding a magical aura of their own. From your brief moment of contact, it has become obvious to you that this lightforged is no mere recruit, but an executioner of untold decoration and skill. The molten depths of her eyes bear the signature thousand-yard stare of a person who has seen far too much darkness over the course of their life. Still now, they are half-lidded and distant, as though her focus is not on what is before her, but rather on an image in her mind’s eye; to you she seems archaic, in spirit if not in body — a venerable paragon. = Relationships = ---- Family Thelua Yanuuk D'ukhat Kozorr N'hera Rastenn Shakiri Companions Eidthi Friends T'vaari Artuug Lovers Khaan = Possessions = ---- Epolmono Epolmono is a crystalline longbow which Za'lenn has carried with her for many millennia. It was specially made per her request — created with fel crystals containing the souls of demons she'd "slain." It has been the end of many a demonically corrupted being. For many years, it went nameless. Only recently has she given it a title which, in the language of her people, means "Tenacity," one of the Light's three virtues. Now, she will always be reminded not to stray too far from the path; to hold tightly to her convinctions and to carry out her duties with determination. It is her weapon of choice, though she owns many others — and is quite proficient with all of them. Taladite Prayer Beads Kept on her person are prayer beads of taladite — opalescent and perfectly rounded — which she recently acquired during a visit to the Exodar. She can often be seen running them through her hands while she is deep in prayer, or even just deep in thought. They are imbued with magical properties, which allow for clarity of mind and thus more centered meditation. Hung from the end of the string is a Naaru effigy, which glows brightly with the essence of the Light. They are quite beautiful, and most probably expensive. Memory Crystals For many thousands of years, Draenei have transcribed thoughts and memories within magical crystals. Za'lenn has done this for some of her most important moments, whether they be happy, angry, or even sorrowful instances in her life. She keeps these crystals in a locked box, and she doesn't often revisit them — or allow others to behold their contents. There are few who even know of their existence; only her closest friends and allies are granted access. = Fun Facts = ---- * Growing up, Za'lenn's role model was the great Jed'hin champion: Vorusk. * Za'lenn once tackled a demon straight off of the edge of a cliff, which earned her the alias "Mad Talbuk." * Her favorite cuisine since arriving on Azeroth is Pandaren. She especially loves dumplings! * People who are chronically late annoy her to no end. * Za'lenn can cook amazing flarn, but everything else she makes is sub-standard. * During her time in the Army, she visited over a dozen different planets. * Her first thought in the morning is usually to wonder about the pain in her left leg, until she remembers that, indeed, she has no left leg. * She has a collection of rocks and crystals she's gathered from various locales. * Za'lenn despises being seen as a cripple. Anyone who dares to voice such thoughts had best be prepared to face her wrath. * Of all the things she could do, Za'lenn most wishes to learn how to draw and paint so that she can document her favorite places. = Miscellaneous = ---- Musical Influences *Weapon - Matthew Good *Saturn - Sleeping At Last *Ghost - Conjure One *Salvation - Scanners *Mortal - Fractures Gallery Zalenn.png ZalennOfficial.png Category:Characters Category:Draenei Category:Grand Alliance Category:Army of the Light Category:Lightforged